Avi to DVD (mpeg2enc), doesn't fit screen (noob)

[bilboshaggins]

Hi,

I'm running ffmpeg on macOS X, trying to encode a 544x304 avi file into DVD format. The first time I tried it, it worked, except that when I plugged er into the dvd player, the picture was way too big for the screen (like it was about 120% too big on both dimensions).

I looked at the converter and it said that it was taking the msmpeg4, yuv420p, 544x304 and making it into a mpeg2enc mpeg2, 720x480, 4000 kbps, 23.976 fps, no crop.

So I think, "no big deal, I'll just go into the Video tab and change the dimensions to 544x304." Well I do that and now it won't finish encoding. It gets to 100% but then can't create the Audio_TS/Video_TS files and fails.

Suggestions?

[Baldrick]

544x304 is not supported by the dvd-video format(see www.videohelp.com/dvd#tech). But it should work fine to convert to 720x480 and keep the correct size so something else must have gone wrong. Have you checked the dvd on your computer? Same problem?

[Case]

Have you checked the dvd on your computer?

This is a good suggestion. Apple DVD Player can read/open a VIDEO_TS folder on your HD. If there is something wrong with the DVD, then quite often you can see it there before burning to disc.

[Case]

544x304 has an aspect ratio of 1.79:1 (~16:9), so for optimal results, set the video size to "DVD 16:9"; no crop; no letterbox. Also check "Set 3:2" in the Options tab, to give the 23.976 fps video a "3:2 pulldown", for smooth playback on tv sets that expect a 29.97 fps signal.

[bilboshaggins]

Hm yeah, that woulda been smart. I wish I had saved it . Now I can't get the TS files back.

I tried again tonight with the 16:9 and 3:2 settings (great suggestions btw), but alas the encode failed. Apparently this time the video TS was created but the Audio TS was empty.

EDIT: NEVER MIND.

Apparently, while the Video TS was created and the Audio TS was empty, I loaded it up anyway with the Apple DVD player and it worked, with sound & subtitles!

Kinda odd, but I threw it in the DVD player anyway and it worked like a charm.

Thanks guys, you just saved christmas.

[tomlee59]

The AUDIO_TS folder should be empty -- that's not a sign of an abnormal conversion. The VIDEO_TS folder has the .vob files that contain both audio and video of your movie. The AUDIO_TS folder is there for the special case of an audio DVD (basically, an audio CD, but with the larger capacity of a DVD disc).

[bilboshaggins]

huh. Then why did it say "failed" I wonder?

[Case]

You'll have to look at the Process Information log to see what part failed.